Summer in Japan

Summer tests even well-prepared travelers. Daytime temperatures reach 30-38°C (86-100°F) with 70-85% humidity. The air feels thick, and a midday walk wears you out quickly. Indoors the air conditioning runs hard, so bring a light layer.

In return you get the big festivals, open mountain trails, the coast, and food made for hot weather. Gion Matsuri fills Kyoto's streets for a month, fireworks go up over Tokyo's rivers, and beer gardens open on rooftops in every city.

Pick summer deliberately. It suits travelers who care more about festivals and culture than comfort. If pleasant weather comes first for you, go in spring or fall. If your dates are fixed, or you want Japan at its most festive, summer works well as long as you plan around the heat.

Summer runs from late June to early September, and the worst of the heat falls between mid-July and mid-August.

The dates to know:

• School holidays: late July through late August

• Obon: August 13-16 in most regions, though Tokyo observes it July 13-16. Along with New Year and Golden Week, it's one of Japan's big travel periods.

• Gion Matsuri: all of July, with parades on July 17 and 24

• Peak festival season: July through mid-August

Festival dates are set every year and don't move, so you can plan around Gion Matsuri or a particular fireworks show with confidence. To compare all the seasons and their trade-offs, see our best time to visit Japan guide.

Expect wet heat. The humidity tires you out faster than the number on the thermometer suggests.

Temperature and Humidity by City

The "feels like" temperature runs 5-10°C above the actual reading. Kyoto is especially rough because it sits in a basin and the surrounding mountains hold the heat in. Sapporo is the exception, with pleasant summers and none of the heavy humidity.

Indoors it swings too far the other way. Trains, shops, and restaurants run the air conditioning hard, so you go back and forth between sweltering streets and cold interiors all day.

If the heat sounds like too much, you can leave the cities.

The mountains and the popular beaches fill up at the height of summer. For July-August, book your accommodation several weeks out.

Summer is festival season in Japan. These are the ones worth planning for, and how to get a decent view.

A festival means packed trains, booked-out hotels nearby, and some transport disruption. Renting a yukata adds to it, though you don't have to. Get there early and keep drinking water.

Locals plan their day around the heat, and it works for visitors too.

What locals use to stay hydrated and cool:

Japanese people use all of these, everywhere, so you won't look like a tourist with them. If it's your first visit, dealing with the heat on top of trains, stations, and everything else can be hard going. Our Tokyo for first-time visitors guide has more on how to structure your days.

If you buy one thing, make it the UV umbrella. It blocks the sun and gives you shade, everyone carries one so it doesn't look odd, and every konbini sells them. For a full checklist, see our Japan packing list.

In most of Japan, Obon runs August 13-16. People go back to their hometowns to honor their ancestors, which makes it one of the country's three big holiday periods, with New Year and Golden Week.

What Changes During Obon

If your trip overlaps Obon, book trains and hotels as early as you can. Domestic travelers pack the big sights, so expect crowds. It helps to stay in one city instead of moving around, and the Bon Odori dances in the neighborhoods are worth seeking out.

If you have the choice, skip Obon week, unless Bon Odori is the reason you're coming or your dates can't move.

Typhoon season is June through October, and it's most active in August and September. Japan gets 10-15 typhoons a year. Not all of them make landfall, and how hard they hit varies.

Regions and Typhoon Impact

How typhoons affect travel:

How to prepare:

Most typhoons won't seriously disrupt your trip. When one does, you'll need some slack in your plans. The forecasts give you days of warning, and most storms pass in 1-2 days before the weather clears.

A lot of Japanese summer food exists to cool you down.

Many are seasonal, so you won't find them the rest of the year.

If you're somewhere in between:

• Shorten the trip to 1 week instead of 2 to cut down on heat fatigue

• Stick to one region that has an escape close by (Tokyo + Hakuba, or Kyoto + Hokkaido)

• Go in early June, before the worst heat, or in September, when the crowds have thinned but it's still warm